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How to Take Great Listing Photos

How to Take Great Listing Photos

 

Do you ever glance at a magazine spread of a house and get the feeling that you’re getting an intimate view into a real home where someone actually lives? It’s one thing to admire the stunning details of a meticulously plotted interior design, but it takes a real master of their craft to create a space and take photos that make you actually want to live there.

 

When it comes to taking photos of a home you are planning to sell, you want to capture this sentiment. You want to take photos that exude centerfold-worthy energy: high quality, clear, well-lit, perfectly composed, etc. But at the same time, you don’t want them to be so overproduced that potential buyers can’t imagine themselves living in the space.

 

How Can You Prepare Your House for Beautiful Photographs?

 

There are tons of things you can do to make your home shine from the inside out. The goal is to make your listing stand out from the competition, so make sure you’re doing everything you can to spruce up the space and ensure quality, eye-catching photos.

 

Make Sure You Cover All the Bases

 

Creating a base list of all the essential rooms will ensure that you don’t leave anything unphotographed. If your listing says the home has three bedrooms, but you only photograph one or two, this isn’t a good look. Potential buyers will want to see every room of the home to make sure it is worth their while to come tour it in person. Also, if you skip over certain areas of your home, people will wonder if you’re trying to hide something.

Here are some of the specific shots you should take to include in your listing:

 

  • 2 wide-angle shots of ALL bedrooms, the kitchen, and the living room (each).
  • 1 photo of each bathroom in the house.
  • 1–3 backyard pictures except for certain individuality. And one or two shots from the front of the house exposing the ‘curb appeal.’
  • One picture of every additional room (laundry, office, mud room, etc).

Declutter and Clean

 

Too much clutter can make a space look and feel suffocating and claustrophobic, which is definitely not what you want to capture in your photos. The idea is to make the home feel open, clean, and full of possibilities, so that the prospective new owners can more easily envision their own personal belongings inside. For the purpose of photographing your house, you don’t necessarily have to do a complete overhaul of all of your possessions, just the very visible ones. Anything you can think of to clear up more space, DO IT!

 

Oh yeah… and cleaning is a MUST! After you declutter, you can more easily give your home a thorough scrub-down. This is a crucial step, because leaving your house covered in a layer of dust and grime is a surefire way to turn off buyers. Take extra care in mopping the floors and dusting/scrubbing surface areas. And don’t forget about the windows, natural light is key in making your home appear more open and spacious. The more natural light that can filter through, the better.

 

After you’ve decluttered your items and personal belongings and all of the little doodads and knick-knacks are out of your way, you can really focus on making the space look nice.

 

Rearrange Furniture Thoughtfully

 

Take it the extra mile by decluttering and rearranging bigger pieces in the home like furniture. Rearranging your furniture and decor can do wonders for a space. Plus, it’s kinda fun. And hey, this could be your opportunity to try out Feng Shui! When you’re doing this, you want to focus on a few things. First, the main goal is to make the space more functional. Consider what the purpose of the room is, and remove or add furniture to cater to the functionality of the room. For example, there shouldn’t be a craft table in the living room or a rocking chair in the kitchen.

 

Also, you want to consider the flow and accessibility of each room. Guests should be able to enter and exit the room without bumping into tables or tripping over ottomans. There are also ways to arrange your furniture to give the room the appearance of spaciousness. Don’t arrange furniture diagonally across corners, this reduces the size of the room immensely and leaves you with a non-functional corner area that’s only really good for collecting miscellaneous junk that falls down behind there. You’ll also want to get rid of any furniture that is kind of just floating in the room with no real place or purpose. It’s much better to have a few really nice, functional pieces of furniture than a vast number of not-so-useful pieces. Having the furniture set up in a way that appears functional and thoughtful will make a huge difference in selling the space as a great place to live.

 

Go Through the House before You Begin Shooting

 

Put yourself in the shoes of a potential buyer as you walk through your own home. Take note of how the space flows. Are you able to walk through without bumping into things? Does the setup of the furniture work for the room? Is there adequate space? What looks good? What needs to be fixed and/or adjusted? Ask yourself what would stand out to you if you were seeing your home with fresh eyes. This will allow you to make necessary changes before shooting photos.

 

Lighting

 

The key to taking great photos is natural light. In order to get as much light into the room as possible, open all of the blinds, curtains, and even doors to encourage as much light to filter into the space as possible. Also, clean your windows thoroughly the day before, as dusty or dirty windows will prevent light from coming through. Avoid cloudy, rainy, or overcast days for shooting, as the lighting will make the space look dark and dingy.

Outdoor photos (like the front of the house, front yard, backyard, etc) are best taken at dusk, or during the “golden hour” when the sun is just starting to set. This will give everything a nice, pleasing tone.

 

If you really want to get fancy with it, the real best time to shoot will depend on which direction each room (and the house itself) faces. This is because it is best to take photos when the sun is behind the camera to avoid awkward shadows and get the best lighting possible.

 

Always take test shots and make adjustments as you go to ensure you have the best settings for the lighting. Keep in mind that when you’re employing natural lighting, as the sun changes position in the sky, so will the position of the light. Therefore, it’s important that you keep checking in to make sure the settings on your camera are adjusted accordingly.

 

Try to avoid relying on artificial lighting, as it makes for inconsistent colors, highlights, and shadows and can make the room look dingy.

 

Angles, Angles, Angles

 

Be sure to keep your camera straight when shooting various angles. This helps prevent distortion that will have to be straightened with a photo editing software later. You will recognize that the vertical lines start to sink if you point the camera so slightly up or down.

 

The ideal height is 5 ft (152.5 cm) for photographing the property. Every home is a little different. But this is the highest level which is the most natural and balanced.

 

When you tilt up too far, you tend to see too much ceiling and too little living space. If you angle down too far, you appear to see too many furnishings and not enough space. Finding this perfect balance is key to capturing the best photos.

 

Touch-ups and Editing

 

Your photos will really come together afterwards when you apply the editing and adjustments. At bare minimum, you’ll want to increase the brightness and color correct. You can hire a professional photographer or designer to do this for you, as photo editing software can be expensive and there’s definitely a learning curve.

 

You Can Take High-Quality, Amazing Photos!

 

The prospect of having to take your own photos can be daunting. After all, it’s not exactly an easy task. As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into taking great photos of your home. Worst case, if you have the budget, you can hire a professional and sit back and relax! But once you get in the swing of things and follow the tips above, you’re sure to produce some stunning photos.

Vince C. JR
Vince C. JR
21:44 09 Mar 23
I was in a bind and needed to sell my home quick without the hassle of someone trying to get over on me. I was approached by Frankie who works here at "We Buy Any Vegas House" and let me tell you! Frankie was not only understanding of my situation but was always on my side every step of the way. He took what was a very stressful time in my life and made this transaction as painless as it could be. His assistant Tara always got back to me regardless of what time it was and I never felt like I was in the dark. I am forever thankful that Frank reached out me and can't thank him and his team enough!
Liz Raga
Liz Raga
19:19 07 Mar 23
Horrible experience- really not professional and definitely won’t call them again to sell my house. Don’t really believe to their falls promises!
Tammy Hetrick
Tammy Hetrick
23:39 12 Sep 22
Friendly service. Great chips and salsa. We came for the margaritas. We've been here a few times for dinner and always enjoy the food.
David Stanley
David Stanley
23:05 12 Sep 22
Spam company, keeps calling and texting to buy a home that I don't own & won't stop
Mike Straub
Mike Straub
23:33 29 Aug 22
Kip came over & offered to steal my beautiful home for a terribly low price, then made an appointment to come back with his partner a few days later, but didn't show up or even call to let us know he wasn't coming
Tyler Smith
Tyler Smith
22:19 04 Jul 22
An amazing team to do business with! Highly recommend!
Tiare Johnson
Tiare Johnson
15:50 08 Jun 22
I didn’t have to worry about a real estate agent, closing costs, & a lot of things that you have to take care of when you sell a house in a traditional way. I like the fact that it was fast, easy, & everything went great! Jamie is fantastic to work with!
Christopher Jenks
Christopher Jenks
19:38 31 May 22
Very communicative and trustworthy group of professionals. The selling process was transparent and fast. Definitely worth considering...
Karen Wheeler
Karen Wheeler
18:31 22 May 22
Great team to deal with
Kailey Bowman
Kailey Bowman
07:08 22 May 22
Mo F
Mo F
23:51 20 May 22
We had an awesome experience!! Jamie Kirk is amazing and made our experience great!!
Jcbbowman1987
Jcbbowman1987
18:42 20 May 22
The best in the business!
peter maiers
peter maiers
04:13 20 May 22
Easy fast and I trusted them ever step of the way !! great team of people all interested in doing everything correctlyPeter B
Connie Bowman
Connie Bowman
02:38 20 May 22
Fantastic Company!
Britne Salsbury
Britne Salsbury
02:34 20 May 22
Casey and his team and are amazing! They are organized and have great follow up. A really great group of people to work with!
Denise Klein
Denise Klein
01:43 20 May 22
Casey Ryan is an incredible professional when it comes to the needs of sellers that need to sell their homes off market. As a real estate agent I always recommend Casey to anyone looking to work with an off market buyer. He is honest, trustworthy & always looking for win-win solutions for everyone involved! The real estate market is better because of Casey & his company, We Buy Any House
jose moran
jose moran
22:43 19 May 22
Chandler Gentry
Chandler Gentry
21:56 19 May 22
This team is so amazing! Makes everything so easy and super reliable!
Amanda Jones
Amanda Jones
21:30 19 May 22
Alex Moses
Alex Moses
20:09 19 May 22
Best company to work with in the real estate game. ABSOLUTELY BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE IVE EXPERIENCED!!
Kyle Mellies
Kyle Mellies
20:06 19 May 22
Donald Gibson
Donald Gibson
19:41 19 May 22
Great communication and pleasant to work with! Everything went smoothly!
Josh Wathen
Josh Wathen
19:40 19 May 22
The team at We Buy Any Vegas House are extremely thorough and very kind. They go above and beyond to help you through the process. I would highly recommend.
Devin Flynn
Devin Flynn
19:34 19 May 22
Jamie was an absolute rockstar for us! She went above and beyond all our expectations, do not hesitate to go with them!
Andrew Brannick
Andrew Brannick
18:12 19 May 22
Worked with Ryan on the sale of my Vegas property, I thought it was going to be a little difficult being out of town in Arizona. Ryan walked me through the process of selling and was able to get me an offer that was higher than I was expecting. He handled everything for me and made the process easy and really quick which was what exactly what I was looking for! Would 100% recommend for anyone looking to sell their house
Jared Vidales
Jared Vidales
17:50 19 May 22
Great service, great pricing. Sold my mothers house to them, and they handled it with care.
Kathy Hallett
Kathy Hallett
17:49 19 May 22
Jamie immediately helped me feel comfortable and the whole process was quick and hassle free! 5 stars
Melani Kirk
Melani Kirk
17:33 19 May 22
Jake Groves
Jake Groves
16:29 19 May 22
Local to Vegas and they are the best. I spoke to every cash home buyer in Vegas. Most of them just low-balled me over the phone. Ryan met me at the property and made an offer, which turned out to be the highest. He also agreed to close with the difficult hoarding tenant still there. Jamie supported me through the escrow process, she was very responsive to any questions I had and kept me informed during the closing. Less than a 30-day escrow. I spoke to a few of the team members over two months as I was getting other offers and all of them were easy to talk to and patient. They have a great team and make sure you include them in your decision-making.Thanks againJG
Joe Skaggs
Joe Skaggs
16:14 02 May 22
S Holt
S Holt
19:49 27 Apr 22
The first person I met was Allen. He immediately made me feel comfortable and confident in dealing with this company. I'm chronically ill. Allen is the only real estate person I'd let in my home.Throughout the process I ended up dealing with the whole team. Jamie deserves a medal for the hurdles she can overcome. Ryan is great at fixing problems and handling the big stuff, with a whole lot of support from Jamie. Allen was always available for me and checking in. He is great at answering questions in a way you understand and I always felt comfortable talking to him.Here is the actual email I sent the team today: "Hi everybody. Just wanted to thank you all again. I'm already able to do so much more for myself, I feel like a new person. I love my cute little house. I love the cold. It even snowed my 3rd day here. Because I'm able to move around, go outside, see people, clean the house, run errands, etc I'm starting to walk much better and even breathe better. And I haven't even seen a doctor yet. I don't feel like I'm a prisoner in my house anymore. Just wanted to let you know how much of a difference you make."My sale hit a few snags. But I'm the end, everything worked out just as they promised, for the amount they promised. These are great people to trust. (PS… Don't worry if they use O.D. I thought it was a scam of some kind. It wasn't. I just didn't understand).
Anabel Alvarez
Anabel Alvarez
17:05 12 Oct 21
Thank you WBAVH! Charles and Ryan were professional, personable, and patient with our needs and requests. The process was a breeze and they answered all of our questions in detail. They made us feel comfortable and part of their family. Will be recommending to everyone I know!
Steven Kaplan
Steven Kaplan
07:40 18 Aug 21
jerry gallegos
jerry gallegos
16:18 09 Aug 21
Very nice and helpful, responded to any questions very quick. I will do business with them again when I buy my next house.
Christopher Kampshoff
Christopher Kampshoff
00:30 07 Aug 21
Thank you so much guys, my brother was in a tight spot I appreciate you coming through. He's in a much better situation now. Again thank you.
Kelly Brown
Kelly Brown
18:48 27 Jul 21
I attempted to work with Allen, from this company. He seemed very nice and I was curious about what their company would give me for my home, if there were no realtors commissions involved. He said he needed to see the house. He came over and took a bunch of pictures and said he would talk to his partner Ryan, (the numbers guy), and get back with me in a half an hour. I didn’t hear from him that day. The next day I received a text from him, saying he would contact me on Monday. On Monday, he texted to see if I could talk at 12:00? I said, yes, he never called. Tuesday I receive a call from a random realtor telling me that Allen’s company has referred me to him. I call Allen, of course, to ask him what the heck is going on and he says yes, I work with this realtor, but I didn’t give him your information, he pouched it from our website!! I then say, so are you going to work with me and I find out, exactly what I already knew, they couldn’t offer enough money for my house, so they are not going to make an offer, HUGE SURPRISE!! #1, if you want your personal information safe, do not work with this company and #2, if you want a good offer on your home, don’t work with this company. I bought my home 3 years ago, it’s in great condition, in a great zip code and the market is through the roof!! If you can’t buy a house and get close to what someone needs financially right now, I don’t know when you can! Pick another company besides this one!! There are many!! Stay far away from this particular WE BUY HOUSES FOR CASH!!! You have been warned!!!
Carolyn Gobel
Carolyn Gobel
18:16 22 Jul 21
This company helped keep us from foreclosure. Thank you!
Carlos Caballero
Carlos Caballero
19:15 23 Jun 21
Thank you guys for your help with my Grandmas home. It was in rough shape and she left so much stuff. We couldn’t have taken on cleaning it out and the project.
jesse phalin
jesse phalin
01:29 18 May 21
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! Went above and beyond assisting me through this process. Helped me move my things and even let me leave what I wasn’t taking with me. Thanks for all of the hard work.
Kelly Stewart
Kelly Stewart
21:27 08 May 21
My husband handled the process but felt good dealing with this local company and they did not try to change price after seeing the house. They actually offered higher once they saw our home. Had 5 companies come our to give us bids and they all were bait and switch. They beat everyone’s offers too. We tried to list before and couldn’t sell. I don’t know why anyone would work with head aches of real estate agents and paying commissions, banks, inspectors and the time to close only to walk away with the same money. Thank you Ryan and Jamie.
degan Stewart
degan Stewart
21:23 08 May 21
Thank you guys so much. Jamie is so sweet and on it. Ryan Is one of the most genuine people I’ve met in Vegas. They did what they said they’d do when they said they would and kept us in the loop the whole time
Brian Higgins
Brian Higgins
22:00 04 May 21
Thank you guys so much for everything. Ryan and Jamie Helped me find a place to get out of our old place. It was so nice to have the moving company just handle everything for me.
Sheila Winn
Sheila Winn
19:05 09 Apr 21
I struggled with the idea of selling my house to a "flipper". This company was fair, professional and extremely helpful every step of the way. I never had to wait for a response from Kelly Schnippel when I had a question or concern.I personally would recommend them to anyone looking to get a fair price for their property all the while getting kindness, professionalism and assistance from the buyer.Thank you Kelly Schnippel! I appreciate YOU and your team!Sheila Winn
Valerie Grijalva
Valerie Grijalva
17:30 27 Feb 21
Casey and his team will handle your transaction with the upmost professionalism and class like no other. Their knowledge in real estate will exceed your expectations and you won't be disappointed from beginning to end with their communication and systems to ensure your goals are met. I highly recommend Casey and his team!
Ann Reback
Ann Reback
18:51 25 Feb 21
Thank you for your professional and personal help in this process. You and your team have been so knowledgeable, responsive, courteous and kind...understanding my goals and executing each step in a timely and professional manner! THANK YOU! I will recommend you and your team to friends and others in our community.
Aviv Ben Shimon
Aviv Ben Shimon
16:38 25 Feb 21
Jess Lapensee
Jess Lapensee
16:31 25 Feb 21
From start to finish the selling process was quick and easy!
Lynne M
Lynne M
04:52 24 Jun 20
I have nothing but positive things to say about this company! I needed to sell a house quickly after a death in my family. I spoke with several Cash for Houses Companies in Las Vegas and settled on We Buy Any Vegas House. Everyone was very sensitive about my situation, helpful, answered all my questions and extremely responsive when I called. Ryan and Kelly were awesome!After we settled on a price everything went super smoothly in escrow and again if I had any concerns or questions there was immediate feedback. Also the fact that I was able to do this remotely as I live in California was extremely helpful! I am so grateful for all the help I received during a very challenging time in my life.
Freddy Aleman
Freddy Aleman
18:47 27 Dec 19
My wife and I recently bought a home from Casey Ryan. The home we purchased is located in Centennial Hills. Gorgeous remodel. Casey and his team did a great job of designing the home. We ran into a couple of issues shortly after moving in. Casey had his people out quickly during Christmas week to make a couple of repairs. He gave my wife and I peace of mind during a chaotic holiday week and for that we will always appreciate him. I would recommend a Casey Ryan home to my friends and relatives.
Angela Rienstra
Angela Rienstra
21:06 26 Dec 19
I needed to sell my house from out of state ASAP. I looked into some other larger name companies and was disappointed with their turn-around time and lack of customer service. I'm so grateful to have found Ryan (and Kelly)! They understood my time crunch and moved heaven and earth to buy my house at a fair price and closed by the promised date. They were with me every step of the way and offered world class service! 100% would recommend to anyone!
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